Boardwalk Empire and Ghost in the Shell star Michael Pitt is joining Sean Penn and Tye Sheridan in the drama-thriller Black Flies. The project will be based on the Shannon Burke novel of the same name, and is inspired by the author's experiences as a New York City paramedic in the 1990s. Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire is directing the film, with a script from Burke and Ryan King, who recently penned The Tutor with Tron Legacy's Garrett Hedlund. Black Flies is being produced by Warren Goz, who previously produced Gerard Butler's Copshop and Liam Neeson's The Marksman.

According to Deadline, Pitt has signed on to star in Black Flies. No details about his character were given, so it isn't yet clear how large of a role he will have. Meanwhile, Sheridan plays a rookie medic with dreams of medical school who hits the streets in an ambulance alongside one of New York's best medics, Penn's Rutkovsky. Open Road is releasing Black Flies theatrically in the US, and Tom Ortenberg is also producing.

Michael Pitt as Kuze in Ghost in the Shell

Related: Michael Pitt's Ghost In The Shell Character Merged Three Anime Villains

Pitt was last seen in the Apple TV+ miniseries Lisey's Story and will star next in the Netflix thriller Reptile alongside Benicio Del Toro and Justin Timberlake. Penn is currently opposite Julia Roberts in the Starz series Gaslit, and recently appeared in the acclaimed Paul Thomas Anderson film Licorice Pizza. Also appearing in Black Flies is actress Katherine Waterston, who is known for starring in all three franchise entries of the Fantastic Beasts film series.

More: Is Boardwalk Empire On Netflix, Hulu Or Prime? Where To Watch Online

Source: Deadline